That wobbly, uncomfortable, rotating tractor/loader/backhoe seat...hate it!

[GeneV]

Hi, new guy here! I have a new [to me] Massey GC1710, and I really dislike that rotating seat, bigtime. I hate how high it puts me on the tractor, hate how it wobbles and shifts while I'm mowing my less than level lawn, and also frankly, not a big fan of the rotating function either.

I'm looking for alternatives, but after searching online for tractor owners doing something (I read enough to know I'm not the only one hating on that type of seat), I haven't found much. I hear the GC1720 has a better seat, and that the newest 2019 models have a reclining seat, but that won't address the wobble and how high it puts the operator on the tractor. Or does it? If anybody can attest to it being lower and less wobbly, please chime in...I'll buy one and install it on my 1710

I don't see mounting 2 separate seats as an elegant solution there, so that's out for me. But I do got a couple ideas floating around in my head. One is to install a flip seat, kind of like the JD 110's had. I hear they're very expensive though, and I haven't even found one for sale online as of yet.

Another option I'm thinking is a fold-down seat, actually. Something that folds flat and then I would sit on the back of it when facing the backhoe. I found a few of these online, fairly cheap, too! Big downside obviously, no back to lean against. But most dudes lean forward anyways, staring into the ditch they're digging.

Anyways, any of you with a Kubota/MF/LS/JD etc tlb with a rotating seat found a better seat option? Please chime in.

 

[Diggin It]

Anyways, any of you Kubota/MF/LS/JD etc with a backhoe and rotating seat found a better seat option?

Well, since you called the brand, I made a simple pup-seat out of piece of board, some stuffing and blue vinyl. It ain't purdy, but it works for me.

My main seat doesn't wobble at all when forward though. I just didn't like the lift and swivel bit to turn it.

 

[BukitCase]

My 580B wasn't too wobbly, but the mechanism was gettin' old and cranky (kinda like me) and about half the time I couldn't get the spring loaded pin to lock in when I reversed/raised/lowerd it - it kept getting MORE irritating, since several of the jobs I do around my place keep me swapping back and forth between driving and hoe-ing - plus, the seat was gettin' long in the tooth, so I threw it away along with the plywood it was upholstered to, dug out an old folding boat seat (new old, that is) and replaced the tractor seat with that - then welded up a frame to support a fairly cheap non-folding replacement tractor seat - like digginit's it ain't purty, but my seat swap time went from a couple minutes to a couple SECONDS - adds up quicker than you might think...

Anyway, found a couple pics from when I was doing a re-hose several years ago (guess I shoulda painted the sucker back then



If you look about where the controls bend, you can see the hoe seat's hinges -

The one downside - that setup puts the hoe seat 2-3 inches higher than the stock one was, found out the hard way that if I'm tryin' to grub out a stubborn stump, WEAR A HARD HAT - one particular bugger the bucket tooth popped off and the entire hoe bounced back at me - the roof crossbar is at least 3" steel tube, caught me across the forehead I didn't quite pass out, but almost.

You might be able to do something similar to mine with slightly different geometry, or maybe your rops is different; anyway, something to consider... Steve

 

[GeneV]

Ok yeh, that's pretty smart. Actually I found a dude on youtube who fabbed up a 2nd folding seat using the rops. He welded a crossbeam and mounted the rear-facing folding seat right on that. But I'm looking to avoid a second seat, personally.

 

[GeneV]

Massey Ferguson 172 tlb Swivel seat option - YouTube

 

[BukitCase]

Yeah, everybody has their "pet peeves" and "irritation threshold" - mine tends to work like "irritate me once, I'll be watchin' ya" - twice, a few options start fermenting in my (now older, crankier) brain - 3 times, I start lookin' at the scrap pile, and by 5th or 6th time the welder's comin' out :laughing:

The flip seat probably took a few more, but only 'cause I wuz in the middle of too many OTHER projects ... Steve

 

[4570Man]

I have no idea how the seat on yours works but could you modify it with a thumb screw or something to take up the slop?

 

[GeneV]

Not that I could see, but also slop ain't the only problem, the seat just puts me too high up on the tractor for my liking. Yeh, I can't live with this bs seat, but I do have an alternative in the works...if it works.

 

[kthompson]

Look at boat seats. You can find them with different height pedestals, with seats that lock in place so they don't turn, with slides on them to adjust your distance from the wheel. Mine does all those functions and there is no slope in the design. If you don't find the height you want you could make the pedestal.

 

[coldsteelva]

Do you feel it puts you too high in the seat because the steering wheel is too low? If that is the case, the newer (2017+) models have a taller (deeper dish) steering wheel which allows for a more upright seated/steering position. As for the wobble, might I suggest a galvanized rubber hockey puck (yep ice hockey puck). Drill a hole through, bolt/washer/nut and done. Puck (or a 10-pack) is much cheaper on Amazon than trying to use a poly bushing or bumper.

I use hockey pucks for jacking of vehicles (saddle and pinch weld), I replaced the crappy rubber feet on my generator (these won't ever wear or degrade), fixed wobbly items on uneven surfaces.

 

[GeneV]

Look at boat seats. You can find them with different height pedestals, with seats that lock in place so they don't turn, with slides on them to adjust your distance from the wheel. Mine does all those functions and there is no slope in the design. If you don't find the height you want you could make the pedestal.

You know I already ordered a skidsteer seat,but...man that's good idea! Can you post a pic of what you did?

 

[GeneV]

Do you feel it puts you too high in the seat because the steering wheel is too low? If that is the case, the newer (2017+) models have a taller (deeper dish) steering wheel which allows for a more upright seated/steering position. As for the wobble, might I suggest a galvanized rubber hockey puck (yep ice hockey puck). Drill a hole through, bolt/washer/nut and done. Puck (or a 10-pack) is much cheaper on Amazon than trying to use a poly bushing or bumper.

I use hockey pucks for jacking of vehicles (saddle and pinch weld), I replaced the crappy rubber feet on my generator (these won't ever wear or degrade), fixed wobbly items on uneven surfaces.

Guys, I didn't wanna turn this thread into my personal diatribe about all the things that bug me about it, but since you asked...

First yeh, the seat wobbles too much. I got inclines and ruts and all sorts of other fun stuff in my yard, and all that stuff needs mowing, takes me like 3 hrs to do it. Just wobbling around is no fun, but added to that, the seat shifts a bit, too. You know, the rotating mechanism in there, it allows for some rotational slop even when it's locked down. It's not too noticeable riding on a nice flat lawn, but I certainly notice it after a while on my terrain.

Another thing, yeh the steering wheel is essentially on my lap, so obviously that's no good. Adding to that, I'm a little guy, only 5'7", and although my feet do reach the foot wells, they're not as squarely planted on there as I would like, with the back of my thighs taking some pressure from that seat.

So, after a few hours of me wobbling around, bouncing and shifting on that seat, thighs taking shade from both the seat and steering wheel...basically all that sux. But also, I just flat out dislike sitting so high up on the tractor. I'm driving up hills and stuff, wobbling around like a pop-up toy, screw that! I wanna sort of sit "in" the tractor so to speak, like I do on my craftsman gt.

And finally *grabs tissue to wipe away tears* I don't like that turn mechanism to face the backhoe, the whole thing feels really janky to me, requires too much effort, and when I do sit facing backward...again I'm short, and my feet aren't as square on the footwells there as well.

 

[kthompson]

I have NOT used a boat seat but have boat just replaced interior and studied the seats and mounts a good bit. There are lots of options there and on mine and many you can lock the seat anywhere in the rotation, it has slide to move seat in and out and some have height adjustment. Some have options in the pedestal height. The seat and the pedestal can be bought separate giving you all kinds of options. Guess what, they are built to be in the weather also. Mine has no wobble, or other loose motion in them.

 

[GeneV]

Yeh, I went looking on amazon after you posted that last message, saw the rotating mechanism that locks and all that.

Here's the funny thing though, and I'm sure this is gonna produce some serious eye rolls lol! You know that seat belt that comes with the tractor? Well, if you use it...you don't bounce around as much. :duh:

 

[kthompson]

Yeh, I went looking on amazon after you posted that last message, saw the rotating mechanism that locks and all that.

Here's the funny thing though, and I'm sure this is gonna produce some serious eye rolls lol! You know that seat belt that comes with the tractor? Well, if you use it...you don't bounce around as much. :duh:

Could not help but laugh at this. You could be right. Whether I had seat belt on or not would not be happy with a wobbling seat. Now take this with a grain of humor, but maybe just maybe the dress code and the operator might change with the boat seat, producing a much better looking outfit.

No way could a decent boat seat look as strange as some of the other options you will see. Biggest reason people will look strange at it is they had never thought of it themselves. But in the sense of safety the tractor will not be able to float due to the seat change only. My father in law ended up with his in his fish pond about 30 years ago, very blessed no injury. Knew to be safe around ponds and such but that was a good wake up call.

 

[GeneV]

Yessir, one must look good while sitting on the tractor, this is an expensive bit of machinery! Exceptions only made on casual friday.

This is the seat I bought, now gotta fab the mount when I have some time, and find some sort of cushion to attach to the back coz I like luxury.

 

[GeneV]

Glad your FIL walked away from that, btw. I got a pond as well, with muskrats in it digging tunnels into the banks. It does get scary, I fell through the ground up above my knee before. Collapsing tunnels and refilling them is gonna be a key application for this here tractor, big reason I got it.

 

[kthompson]

I was told few years back Kenworth was located near I think Boeing in Washington state. They took from the airplane industry items such shape of the cab, to improve their truck and became an industry leader. It is amazing how often there is a great solution to an issue in another industry to solve a problem if you only new about it.

 

[GeneV]

Hey guys, look it. So this ain't a wrap yet, it's not fully where I need it to be, but...pretty close! :cool2:

 

[Nacademus]

I definitely feel you. I sometimes feel silly when I sit so high on this tiny tractor. The seat wobble when in use and how clunky it is to turn around for the backhoe is also a pain point. I experienced a crush amputation of my thumb last summer. Ever since, turning the seat around always seems to find sensitive areas of whats left and becomes a painful ordeal.

The wobble subsides a lot when you use the lap belt. I am pretty sure they expect every operator to do this on each use.

It is really easy to not get the notched front of the seat base bracket to slip under and detent on the bottom bracket to stabilize it. It will click and latch in the rear regardless if the front is properly secured. I do this from time to time. Its still a touch wobbly when properly seated, but it's A LOT worse when it's not.

I wonder if the JD TLB seat acts the same way. I hear they break quite often, or an earlier version did.

Seats on SCUTs seem to be a real pain point. I wonder if they would have been better served having engineered a seat with a seatback with cushion on either side that could pivot via hinge and transform to face the operator the other way while having a rail slide underneath to move the seat rearward. No wonky or complicated flip and spins needed for that.